An' syne he telled them hoo, laith to
be fashous, he had gi'en orders till 's menyie to be all afore the
mornin' brak, an' wait at the neist cheenge hoose till he jined
them. 'Whaur,' said the leddy, 'I trust ye'll lat them wait, or
else sen' for them.' But the yerl sat an' said never a word. The
prence gae him ae glower, an' declared that his leddy's word was
law to him; he wad bide till she wulled him to gang. At this her
een shot fire 'maist like his ain, an' she smilit as she had never
smilit afore; an' the yerl cudna bide the sicht o' 't, but daurna
interfere: he rase an' left the room an' them thegither.
"What passed atwixt the twa, there was nane to tell: but or an hoor
was by, they cam oot upo' the gairden terrace thegither, han' in
han', luikin' baith o' them as gran' an' as weel pleased as gien
they had been king and queen. The lang an' the short o' 't was,
that the same day at nicht the twa was merried. Naither o' them
wad hear o' a priest. Say what the auld yerl cud, they wad not hear
o' sic a thing, an' the leddy was 'maist mair set agane 't nor the
prence. She wad be merried accordin' to Scots law, she said, an'
wad hae nae ither ceremony, say 'at he likit!
"A gran' feast was gotten ready, an' jist the meenute afore it was
cairriet to the ha', the great bell o' the castel yowlt oot, an'
a' the fowk o' the hoose was gaithered i' the coortyaird, an' oot
cam the twa afore them, han' in han', declarin' themsel's merried
fowk, the whilk, accordin' to Scots law, was but ower guid a
merriage.
Pages:
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403